Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia
North America, Northeastern United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States
Types
Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis
Ilex glabra, Ilex crenata, Ilex verticillata
Number of Varieties
13
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Well Drained
Coastal Regions, Lowland, Mountains, Subtropical climates, Suburban areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-115-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
370.00 cm120.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
300.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Yellow
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Cuttings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep the Soil well drained, Requires watering in the growing season
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water more in summer, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in spring, Remove branches, Remove branches that rub together, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, fertilize in spring, fertilize in summer, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Birds
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Respiratory Disorders, Soothing and relieving pain
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Making Perfumes, Traditional medicine, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Can be made into a herbal tea
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
CITRUS medica var. sarcodactylis
ILEX glabra
Common Name
Buddha's Hand, Fingered Citron
American Pokeweed, Inkberry, Silberstein American Pokeweed
In Hindi
Buddha's Hand
Tree
Inkberry
In German
Buddhas Hand
Baum
Inkberry
In French
Main de Bouddha
Arbre
Inkberry
In Spanish
Mano de Buda
Árbol
Inkberry
In Greek
Χέρι του Βούδα
Δέντρο
Inkberry
In Portuguese
Mão de Buda
Árvore
Inkberry
In Polish
Ręka Buddy
Drzewo
inkberry
In Latin
Buddha manus
Arbor
Inkberry
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
-
Class
-
-
Order
Sapindales
Aquifoliales
Family
Rutaceae
Phytolaccaceae
Genus
Citrus
Ilex
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1600
1
27800
👆🏻